Display device having anti-fog transparent protection plate

ABSTRACT

An exemplary display device ( 10 ) includes a display module ( 11 ), a frame ( 12 ), a porous ceramic member ( 13 ), and a transparent protection plate ( 14 ). The frame defines a receiving cavity ( 121 ). The display module is confined in the receiving cavity of the frame. The transparent protection plate is configured in front of the light output side of the display module. The porous ceramic member is located between the front surface ( 122 ) of the frame and the transparent protection plate. The display device can prevent fogs forming on the transparent protection plate for maintaining a clear display.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to two co-pending U.S. patent applications,a co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/741,748, filed on Apr.29, 2007, and entitled “DISPLAY DEVICE HAVING ANTI-FOG TRANSPARENTPROTECTION PLATE ”, and a co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No.[to be determined] (Attorney Docket No. US13396), and entitled “DISPLAYDEVICE HAVING ANTI-FOG TRANSPARENT PROTECTION PLATE” wherein theinventor is Lone-Wen Tai et al. All of such applications have the sameassignee as the present application. The disclosures of the aboveidentified applications are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to a display device, and moreparticularly to a flat-panel display device having an anti-fogtransparent protection plate.

2. Discussion of the Related Art

Recently, there has been an increased demand for flat-panel displaydevices for use in, electronic products such as personal digitalassistants, mobile phones, portable computers, televisions, etc. This isbecause the flat-panel display devices have a thinner structure orconfiguration in contrast to cathode ray tube display devices.Generally, the flat-panel display device may be a liquid crystal displaydevice, a plasma display device, a field emission display device, anelectroluminescent display device, etc. In particularly, the liquidcrystal display device is typically used to represent the flat-paneldisplay device, because the liquid crystal display devices currentlyhave the largest market and the fastest development speed.

In a liquid crystal display device, a screen of the liquid crystaldisplay device should be cleaned to see a clear display. Generally, thescreen of the liquid crystal display is made of a delicate material thatis easily scratched when cleaned and/or scratched upon with a roughobject.

In order to prevent the screen from being scratched, a sturdytransparent plate is generally configured on a frame of the liquidcrystal display device to protect the screen. The screen of the liquidcrystal display device and the rigid transparent plate are spaced apartfrom one another, therefore an interspace is defined between the screenand the rigid transparent plate. To avoid fogs generated on the rigidtransparent plate when water vapors in the interspace comes in contactwith the rigid transparent plate with a cooler temperature relative tothe screen, some holes that regulate ventilation between the interspaceand ambient environment is needed. Generally, dust particles would enterthe interspace through the holes, and thus the screen of the liquidcrystal display device would be contaminated.

Therefore, a new display device is desired in order to overcome theabove-described shortcomings.

SUMMARY

A display device includes a frame, a display module, a transparentprotection plate, and a porous ceramic member. The frame defines areceiving cavity. The display module is received in the receiving cavityof the frame. The transparent protection plate is configured on thelight output side of the display module. The porous ceramic member islocated at an edge between the display module and the transparentprotection plate.

Other novel features and advantages will become more apparent from thefollowing detailed description, when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, theemphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating principles ofthe present display device. Moreover, in the drawings, like referencenumerals designate corresponding parts throughout several views, and allthe views are schematic.

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a display device in accordance with afirst preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an assembled, side, cross-sectional view of the display deviceof FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side, cross-sectional view of a display device in accordancewith a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side, cross-sectional view of a display device in accordancewith a third preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a display device in accordance with afourth preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made to the drawings to describe preferredembodiments of the present display device in detail.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a display device 10 according to a firstembodiment is shown. The display device 10 includes a liquid crystaldisplay module 11, a frame 12, a porous ceramic member 13, and atransparent protection plate 14. The liquid crystal display module 11includes a light output surface 111 (not labeled in FIG. 1). The frame12 includes a front surface 122 and side rims 123 extending rearwardsfrom a periphery of the front surface 122. The front surface 122 furtherdefines a viewing window. The side rims 123 cooperatively define areceiving cavity 121 behind the front surface 122. After assembly, theframe 12 confines the liquid crystal display module 11 in the receivingcavity 121 of the frame 12. The transparent protection plate 14 isdisposed in front of the light output surface 111 of the liquid crystaldisplay module 11. The porous ceramic member 13 is located between thefront surface 122 of the frame 12 and the transparent protection plate14. The transparent protection plate 14 and the light output surface 111of the liquid crystal display module 11 are spaced apart from oneanother, and an interspace 15 is defined between the transparentprotection plate 14 and the light output surface 111 of the liquidcrystal display module 11.

The transparent protection plate 14 is used for protecting the lightoutput surface 111 of the liquid crystal display module 11 from damagesby excessive force applied with an object. The transparent protectionplate 14 can be made of a material selected from a group consisting ofplastic, glass, and any suitable combination thereof.

The porous ceramic member 13 is used to regulate ventilation between theinterspace 15 and ambient environment. The porous ceramic member 13 canbe made of a material selected from a group consisting of a porousceramics, a porous oxide-nonoxide composite ceramics, porous glass,porous glass-ceramics, and any suitable combination thereof. Typically,the porous ceramic is preferred to be porous alumina ceramics. Theporous alumina ceramics defines a plurality of micro holes, and eachhole has a diameter in the range from about 0.1 μm to about 50 μm. Astructure of the porous ceramic member 13 can be configured according toa shape of the front surface 122 of the frame 12. In this embodiment,the porous ceramic member 13 includes a first surface (not labeled)interconnecting with the frame 12, and a second surface (not labeled)located at the opposite side of the first surface interconnecting withthe transparent protection plate 14, and is substantially a rectangularframe in shape corresponding to the front surface 122 of the frame 12.The first surface and the second surface of the porous ceramic member 13are substantially parallel to the transparent protection plate 14 andthe light output surface 111 of the liquid crystal display module 11respectively. The porous ceramic member 13, the frame 12, and thetransparent protection plate 14 can be fixed together by at least one ofa piece of double-sided adhesive tape, a solid adhesive, and glue, or byat least one of a fastening member and a latching member.

Since the porous ceramic member 13 is foam-like and defines many poresinterconnecting with each other, the porous ceramic member 13 canregulate ventilation between the interspace 15 and ambient environmentwhile filtering out dust particles. The display device 10 prevents fogsforming on the transparent protection plate 14 and dust particlesentering the interspace 15 simultaneously, thus maintaining a cleardisplay. It should be pointed out that the effectiveness of filteringout the dust particles by the porous ceramic member 13 could be improvedby decreasing a pore size of the porous ceramic member 13.

Referring to FIG. 3, a display device 20 according to a secondembodiment of the present invention is shown. The display device 20includes a liquid crystal display module 21, a frame 22, a porousceramic member 23, and a transparent protection plate 24. The displaydevice 20 is similar in principle to the display device 10 describedabove. However, the frame 22 has a front surface 222 and a flangeportion 223 protruding forwardly from an outer edge of the front surface222. The front surface 222 and the flange portion 223 cooperativelydefine a first room (not labeled) for receiving the porous ceramicmember 23. The porous ceramic member 23 is engaged with the frontsurface 122 of the frame 22 in shape, and includes a bottom portion 231and a bent portion 232 that is distal from a center of the displaydevice 20. The bottom portion 231 and the bent portion 232 cooperativelydefine a second room for receiving the transparent protection plate 24.By using the first room and the second room to receive the porousceramic member 23 and the transparent protection plate 24 respectively,the porous ceramic member 23 and the transparent protection plate 24 canbe firmly fixed on the frame 22.

Referring to FIG. 4, a display device 30 according to a third embodimentof the present invention is shown. The display device 30 includes aliquid crystal display module 31, a frame 32, a porous ceramic member33, and a transparent protection plate 34. The display device 30 issimilar in principle to the display device 10 described above. However,the transparent protection plate 34 defines a plurality of through holes341 around an edge of the transparent protection plate 34 adjacent theporous ceramic member 33. The through holes 341 are adopted to increasean interaction between ambient environment and the porous ceramic member33, thereby improving a ventilation effectiveness and ventilationefficiency between ambient environment and an interspace 35 definedbetween the transparent protection plate 34 and the liquid crystaldisplay module 31. It should be pointed out that the through holes 341could be filled up with a porous ceramic as well.

Referring to FIG. 5, a display device 40 according to a fourthembodiment of the present invention is shown. The display device 40includes a liquid crystal display module 41, a frame 42, a porousceramic member 43, and a transparent protection plate 44. The displaydevice 40 is similar in principle to the display device 10 describedabove. However, the porous ceramic member 43 is made of porous ceramicunits 431, 432. In an illustrated embodiment, each of the porous ceramicunits 431, 432 is an elongated rectangular sheet in shape. It can beunderstood that the porous ceramic member 43 can be made of one of theporous ceramic unit 431, 432, while some other subject are used toreplace the rest of the porous ceramic unit 431, 432. Thus, making thedisplay device 40 cost efficient.

It is noted that the scope of the present display devices is not limitedto the embodiments described above. For example, in the display device10, the porous ceramic member 13 can be located between the frontsurface 122 of the frame 12 and light output surface 111 of the displaymodule 11. In addition, the liquid crystal display module of the displaydevice can be substituted by one of a plasma display module, a fieldemission display module, and an electroluminescent display module

It is believed that the present embodiments and their advantages will beunderstood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent thatvarious changes may be made thereto without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its materialadvantages, the examples hereinbefore described merely being preferredor exemplary embodiments of the invention.

1. A display device, comprising: a frame defining a receiving cavity; adisplay module received in the receiving cavity of the frame; atransparent protection plate configured on a light output side of thedisplay module; and a porous ceramic member located at an edge betweenthe display module and the transparent protection plate.
 2. The displaydevice as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display module is selectedfrom a group consisting of a liquid crystal display module, a plasmadisplay module, a field emission display module, and anelectroluminescent display module.
 3. The display device as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the transparent protection plate is made of a materialselected from a group consisting of plastic, glass, and any combinationthereof.
 4. The display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the porousceramic member is made of material selected from a group of a porousceramics, a porous oxide-nonoxide composite ceramics, porous glass,porous glass-ceramics, and any suitable combination thereof
 5. Thedisplay device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the porous ceramic memberis made of porous alumina ceramics.
 6. The display device as claimed inclaim 5, wherein the porous alumina ceramics defines a plurality ofmicro holes, and each hole has a diameter in the range from about 0.1 μmto about 50 μm
 7. The display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein theporous ceramic member comprises a first surface interconnecting with theframe, and a second surface located at the opposite side of the firstsurface interconnecting with the transparent protection plate.
 8. Thedisplay device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame comprises afront surface and a flange portion protruding from the front surface,the front surface and the flange portion cooperatively define a room forreceiving the porous ceramic member and the transparent protectionplate.
 9. The display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein thetransparent protection plate defines a plurality of through holes in atleast one edge thereof corresponding to the porous ceramic member. 10.The display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame, thetransparent protection plate and the porous ceramic member are fixedtogether by at least one of a piece of double-sided adhesive tape, solidadhesive, and glue, or by at least one of a fastening member and alatching member.
 11. The display device as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe porous ceramic member is substantially a rectangular frame in shape.12. The display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the porous ceramicmember is made of at least one porous ceramic unit, each of the at leastone porous ceramic unit is an elongated rectangular sheet in shape. 13.A display device, comprising: a frame comprising a front surface and aplurality of side rims extending rearwards from a periphery of the frontsurface, wherein the front surface defines a window, and the side rimscooperatively defines a receiving cavity behind the front surface; adisplay module having a light output surface confined in the receivingcavity; a transparent protection plate located in front of the displaymodule; and a porous ceramic member located between the front surface ofthe frame and the transparent protection plate.
 14. The display deviceas claimed in claim 13, wherein the transparent protection plate is madeof a material selected from a group consisting of plastic, glass, andany combination thereof.
 15. The display device as claimed in claim 13,wherein the porous ceramic member is made of material selected from agroup of a porous ceramics, a porous oxide-nonoxide composite ceramics,porous glass, porous glass-ceramics, and any suitable combinationthereof.
 16. The display device as claimed in claim 13, wherein theframe further comprises a flange portion protruding from the frontsurface, the front surface and the flange portion cooperatively define aroom for receiving the porous ceramic member and the transparentprotection plate.
 17. The display device as claimed in claim 13, whereinthe transparent protection plate defines a plurality of through holes inat least one edge thereof corresponding to the porous ceramic member.18. The display device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the porousceramic member is substantially a rectangular frame in shape.
 19. Thedisplay device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the porous ceramic memberis made of porous alumina ceramics.
 20. The display device as claimed inclaim 19, wherein the porous alumina ceramics defines a plurality ofmicro holes, and each hole has a diameter in the range from about 0.1 μmto about 50 μm.